Improvement in writing apparatus for the blind



ARTHUR VON BRIESEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO EIMS-ELF AND VICTOR E. MAUGER, OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN WRITING APPARATUS FOR THE BLIND.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 121,026, dated November 14, 1871.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR von BRmsEN, of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Writing Apparatus for the Blind, Ste., of which the following, together with the accompanying drawing, is a complete description:

Persons whoV have lost their eye-sight after having enjoyed its use are at present deprived of all means for communicating their ideas in writing. Others with impaired vision can only write with difficulty and pain. Still others destroy or injure their eyes by writing at late hours or with insufficient light.

The object of my invention is to produce an instrument whereby persons with impaired or destroyed eye-sight will be enabled to write without difficulty, while others can by its use preserve their eyes from injury. The invention consists in the arrangement of an adjustable handguide, along which the hand moves in writing, and which can be shifted further down, after a line has been completed, to indicate the direction of the hand, for writing the next line. The invention also consists in the combination of the adjustable hand-guide and notched rod-holder with the paper-holder and tablet, as will be hereinafter fully described. A

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my invention, showing the position of the hand during its use. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section of the same on the line c o, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the same on the line la k, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail longitudinal section ofthe same on the line c la, Fig. 4.

Similar letters of reference in the several ii gures indicate corresponding parts.

A represents a board or tablet for the support of the paper -or matter to be written upon. It is preferably provided with a projecting rib, a., at the left-hand side,toform a shoulder or straightedge for defining the position of the paper. To the side of the board A is secured, by screws or otherwise, a barrel, B, containing a spring, g, and to said barrel is pivoted, at 73, a clamp, C, for holding the paper on the board. The spring g bears against the clamp C and presses it upon the paper in a well-known manner. Arms b b,

extending lengthwise from the clamp G and having ears d at their outer ends, serve to hold in said ears a rod, D, about parallel to the edge of the clam p, as shown. The rod D has notches or depressions formed on one or more of its edges about as far apart from each other as the required distances between the lines to be written. A sleeve, F, slides on the rod D and carries a suitable spring-click, e, that enters one of the notches of the rod. A hand-guide, E, projects from the sleeve at right angles to the rod D, and constitutes a guide for the hand of the writer. The hand-guide can be made of wood, and is secured to the sleeve by a plate, h, as indicated, or in other suitable manner, and properly fastened. It may, however, be made in one piece with the sleeve, or of the saine material. f is a knob on the spring c, to serve as a handle for raising it out ofthe notches.

The .apparatus is used in the following manner: The paper is placed upon the board against the shoulders a and held by the clamp U. The sleeve is carried to the upper part of the rod, so that the writer, in guiding the hand along the upper edge of the hand-guide, willwrite the first line on the upper part of the sheet. After a line has been written the sleeve is gently pushed down till the spring' clicks into the next notch, the notches being preferably so cut that the spring will easily work out of them by gentle downward pressure against the sleeve. Thus, after a line has been completed the guide is moved down for the next line, and so forth, until the page is completed. The paper is then readily removed by swinging the clamp O on its pivots z' and thereby carrying its appendages D, F, and

E clear from the paper. i

manner for use. The bar D may be notched on two or more sides, the notches beingdierently 2,' The combination of the adjustable handspaced on the several sides, so that it can be guide E, notched rod D, and spring-click e or turned and used to let the lines come more or its equivalent with the paper-holder C and tabless apart. let A,substantially as set forth.

I claim as my invention- A. V. BRIESEN. 1. AWriting-tablet for the blind, provided With an automatically-adjustable handguide, which is Witnesses:

held at one end only7 substantially as and for the M. A. MAUGER, purpose set forth. A. E. BEACH. (146) 

